COUNSELLING APPROACHES

I take an integrative approach to counselling which means that I will use approaches which best align to the person I am supporting based on their situation and preferences. However, the work that I do is underpinned by several theories of counselling and ways of seeing and understanding people and their experiences.

Person Centred counselling

Also known as Humanistic counselling, Person Centred Counselling is primarily concerned with the client’s present experience and is non-directive, meaning that the focus is based on what is important or pressing for the client, rather than the therapist being in a position of the ‘expert’ and therefore deciding what needs to happen. It is a strength based and relationship-oriented approach to supporting people to understand and respond to their circumstances.

Internal Family Systems

Internal Family Systems (IFS) uses Family Systems theory—the idea that individuals cannot be fully understood in isolation from the family unit—to develop techniques and strategies to effectively address issues within the client’s internal community or family. It is an evidence-based approach which recognises that each individual possesses a variety of sub-personalities, or “parts,” and supports the client to get to know each of these parts better, to achieve healing.

By learning how different parts function as a system and how the overall system reacts to other systems and other people, clients become better able to identify the roots of conflict, manage any complications arising, and achieve greater well-being.

Narrative Therapy

Narrative Therapy is a strength based non pathologizing, empowering, and collaborative approach to supporting people. It recognises that people have skills and expertise that can help guide change in their lives.

Narrative therapy separates people from their problems and to see those ‘problems’ as separate from who they are. It allows people to address issues in a more productive way.

In Narrative Therapy, the therapist and client identify and build upon “alternative” or “preferred” storylines to the ‘dominant’ story which influences their life. These storylines exist beyond the problem story which provides contrast to the problem, reflect a person’s true nature, and allow the person to rewrite their story, moving from what is known (the problem story) to what is unknown.